


Brotherly Strife

by Inkribbon796



Series: Masks and Maladies [107]
Category: Markiplier fandom - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Background Dr. Iplierst, Birthday Post, Cannibalism, Dark is trying his best, Gen, Inspired by It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Magic, Minor child endangerment, Sibling Rivalry, after all the angst takes place, background Darkstache, its loving Dark hours, superhero au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:47:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27990234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkribbon796/pseuds/Inkribbon796
Summary: It’s a Wonderful Life but instead of wishing you were never born, Bim wishes that Illinois was never adopted. So the Host offers to give Bim a day to see what his life would be without Illinois and if he likes it, then they’ll make the change permanent.
Series: Masks and Maladies [107]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1538131
Comments: 28
Kudos: 14





	1. Everytime a Child Smiles, a Demon Gets a Soul

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday, Bim I got you some angst. (Bim glares at me)  
>  Also: chapter titles 1 and 2 are modified quotes from “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

Bim was having a shitty morning. He woke up late, with a migraine.

The rest of the day was just as awful, and his migraine kept coming back in force every time his painkillers kept wearing off. Even feeding on one of his contestants didn’t get rid of it.

Then the kicker was when he came home and Illinois and Dark were just sitting at the kitchen table talking. Illinois was just laughing at his own joke as Dark was smiling at him. There were some mugs in front of them.

Bim wanted to scream in frustration, he was already angry and upset, and seeing Illinois was just making an angry pit sink in his gut.

Stomping off, Bim walked towards the stairs. He wasn’t sure if he was going to sit on the back balcony, or go sulk in his room.

He wound up throwing the door open to the back balcony and saw the last person he expected: the Host.

The Host was sitting in one of the deck chairs, reclined back, hands resting in his lap. “The Host greets Bim.”

“Hey,” Bim felt a bit uncomfortable, seeing the Host back in the Manor for the first time. “The old man know you’re here?”

“Even if the Host had not pre-announced his arrival, the Entity would have noticed his aura,” the Host dismissed. “Bim Trimmer should sit, relax.”

Bim scoffed, “No thanks, I’ve already got a headache. I’m going to bed.”

With a couple words from the Host, the balcony door closed and locked, keeping Bim outside with the Host. “The Host insists that Bim stay, he’ll only get into an argument with Illinois and the Entity.”

“Illy can go fuck himself,” Bim scoffed. “He gets all of the old man’s attention and we don’t. Doesn’t that piss you off?”

“The Host enjoys being left to his own devices,” the Host dismissed. “Bim should too if he knows what’s good for himself.”

“It’d be amazing to get that for just once,” Bim complained. “He only seems to care about me when I’m doing something wrong.”

The Host made an ugly, scoffing sound, “Bim could not handle being the center of the Entity’s attention.”

“I did just fine for five years without all of you, I could do it again,” Bim promised.

That got a full laugh from the Host, it startled Bim a bit because of how different it was from the Author’s.

“Alright,” the Host chuckled. “The Host bets that Bim is wrong. The Host can make it so that Illinois was never adopted, that Bim never had to compete with him. If Bim Trimmer is right then the Host can make it permanent.”

“Don’t you need him for your little plans?” Bim asked, not sure how he felt about the Host being able to just casually get rid of one of them.

The Host was still smiling, “Bim shouldn’t worry about that.”

“Okay,” Bim smiled, “I bet it’s way better than how it is now.”

Host stood up, “Alright, it’s done. Bim should go to bed and avoid Illinois and Dark. Bim now has twenty-four hours from this moment. When Bim wakes up Illinois will be gone.”

“Just like that?” Bim asked.

“Yes, go to bed, Bim will thank the Host for starting now rather than in the morning,” the Host warned.

“I can handle it,” Bim boasted and reached for the now unlocked balcony door.

The Host didn’t comment and Bim left. He couldn’t hear Dark or Illinois talking but he kept walking over to his room and walked inside. Nothing looked different and eventually he did manage to go to bed, the sound of Dark’s aura ringing faintly in his ear.

The next morning Bim was a mixture of well rested and sore and he wasn’t sure why. His ears were running with Dark’s aura but he couldn’t see him, so he figured that he had a small portal tucked away somewhere. It dulled down while he was in the bathroom, thankfully.

It let him shower, do his hair, and apply his makeup in peace.

Bim was about to walk towards his own bedroom door but a portal opened up right in front of it. It startled him for a bit, but he walked through it and into the kitchen.

The kitchen was exactly the same as it had been the day before, with one exception: Kaylor — King — was in the kitchen. He was in the same beige suit he would always wear back when he still lived with them and worked for Dark, and red tie.

He was glaring at the coffee pot as if staring at it would make it brew faster.

“Hey King-a-ling, how long you been into coffee?” Bim leaned against the counter. “Aren’t you a tea drinker?”

Kay fixed him with the most baneful glare that Bim had ever seen him give. “Not before my coffee, I can’t deal with you before coffee.”

Bim frowned, able to keep quiet for ten seconds before saying, “You meeting up with Illinois?”

Groaning, Kay closed his eyes briefly and the coffee pot clicked off. He grabbed a large mug from one of the overhead cupboards. All the fun multi-colored mugs were gone from the shelf, Kay had a black one in his hand. “Dammit Bim.”

“Come on,” Bim smiled.

“Just cut to the punchline,” Kay already starting to drink his coffee, gently blowing on it a couple times.

“Not a joke this time, just wanted to know if you’re hanging out with Illinois, you know, our brother?”

Kay just looked at him, “If we had a brother named that, Artie would have teased him to hell.”

Bim froze, realizing that Illinois hadn’t been teased for it nearly as much as he could have been.

His brother was pouring out a second cup for himself and leaving the coffee pot on the heater. “Well whatever but you’re working on, hope the last draft is funny.”

Bim noticed that Dark’s aura was lurking around the area, watching and waiting for something. Bim waited for him to slink out of the shadows, grab his own coffee, but he never did.

Eventually Bim did what he usually did in the morning, which was throw together a quick breakfast from stuff Dark would leave for them in the fridge. Then, after Bim was done, a portal opened up and it took him to Wil’s station.


	2. You’ve Been Given a Great Gift, Bim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bim’s adventure continues and he learns that being Dark’s favorite isn’t all fun and games.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING because Bim eats someone in this.

Everything at the station was normal, fine. Well except for the fact his show was a full hour earlier than normal, but he tried to get over that, it was one day. It’d be fine.

Wil greeted him warmly and everyone stepped lightly around Wil’s ever-changing moods. But Bim was always aware of Dark’s aura lingering always in the background of any room Bim was in.

It was weird, but Bim felt something like pride about it. Dark never paid this much attention to him. He wondered if this was what Illinois got every day.

The show went okay, nothing went too wrong. But instead of Wil quickly sweeping him away, Dark’s portal physically moved him from the stage and dumped him into a cold office room, one that it took Bim a bit to recognize as Dark’s office in the Manor. Dark was standing there.

“A warning would have been nice,” Bim grumbled.

Dark was just staring, unblinking at him with a frigid expression on his face, “Normally I would let you go about your day, but your flagrant insistence about wasting your time has gotten on my last nerve.”

“Come on, you don’t force Illy to do this,” Bim muttered.

“I don’t keep track of what your insufferable friends do,” Dark dismissed in a terse, angry tone. “We’re continuing your lessons, _now._ ”

“Okay,” Bim allowed, unsure what these _“lessons”_ would be but if Illinois had ever done them then he could probably do it.

Dark seemed to lose a little bit of tension and he swept back the dark fringe of hair that had fallen in front of his eyes. “Finally, some sense. That bastard glitch isn’t teaching you anything of merit.”

“Harsh,” Bim commented bravely.

Dark walked up and with absolutely gentleness he smoothed out Bim’s hair and suit with aura, not physically touching him but his hands moving through the motions. “You’re Wil’s heir, you deserve only the best.”

At first, Bim didn’t know what to start commenting on, but then Dark’s aura seemed to seep into his suit coat, turning it from its normal black to an inky black color.

“There,” Dark said, “that should help you start.”

Then the Entity took a step back and waited, for what Bim didn’t have the foggiest idea.

Dark just stared at him, unblinkingly.

Bim looked around, “What am I supposed to do again.”

“You are not doing this again,” Dark spat, suddenly furious. Bim flinched, feeling Dark’s aura coil around him, tightening just shy of going from uncomfortable to painful. “You are staying here until I get _something_ out of you. You and Wil constantly insist I treat you like an adult, but the very instant I start, you complain incessantly.”

“I don’t know what you want!” Bim shouted back.

That got Dark even angrier, “You know what I want, so start taking this seriously!”

“No I don’t know,” Bim began to panic, he’d never seen Dark direct his anger towards him like this before.

It terrified him.

Dark glared at him, furious but the coiling loosened a bit. He swept his hair out of the way. “Bim I am doing this with your best interest in mind. Wil doesn’t teach, and that glitch doesn’t care. Other demons aren’t going to wait for you to gain an interest in learning magic.”

“What am I supposed to do?” Bim asked.

Something in Dark seemed to be merciful, the aura uncoiled from around Bim but lingered on his coat. Dark took a deep breath before holding up his hands and tore open a portal into the Void. “You have my aura inside you, just use it. You always go for huge holes in reality. Start small.”

Bim felt actual dread chilling his body. He’d never tried to use the Void, it always seemed like an untamed wild beast that wanted to swallow him whole. He’d only learned he had an aura after being in an aura-dampening environment.

But he held up his hand like Dark, unsure what to exactly do at first.

For the first five seconds there was nothing, Bim didn’t know what to do or say. But after a disappointed sigh from Dark, his aura creeped along Bim’s arms and he felt a tingling at his fingertips that had a weird burning effect on them.

It steadily got more painful until a deep purple, almost black, portal with flecks of pink and lavender color bleeding through.

Bim felt something in him twisting, almost hypnotizing him as he stared at it. Something trying to claw its way out of him.

But Dark closed the portal and Bim collapsed, feeling so unendingly hungry that he growled at the ground, his mind starting to cloud into the beginning stages of a frenzy. A chill starting to prickle in his chest.

Fortunately, for Bim at least, he was already hearing the choked screams of a human already bleeding and injured.

Unlike all the other times when Bim would stalk and study and enjoy himself with the thrill of the hunt he just lunged for whatever pitiful creature Dark had found for him.

Bim went for their throat, relishing in the choked screams and the blood around him.

Dark just watched calmly until Bim was done, what had once been a human being was now a mound of limbs, broken bones, and gore.

It was only once Bim was sated that he realized he was gasping for breath, as if he’d run a mile. He looked at himself in disgust as he realized his suit was ruined with blood.

“Ughh,” Bim complained.

Dark’s aura came back and Bim felt something in him that he hadn’t felt before — maybe that was his own aura — try and recoil away from Dark and lean into him at the same time.

Dark used his aura to force Bim to look up at him, “See, now was that so hard? A couple more lessons and you’ll have it.”

_Run!_

Bim felt like he’d been jolted by something, he was on edge, and felt like he’d been electrocuted by something. He was running and at first he didn’t know where his feet were taking him. But all too soon he ran into his bedroom and straight into the bathroom where he began throwing up into the toilet.

He felt disgusting and so different, like Dark had just uncorked some demonic genie inside of him and Bim wanted that feeling again, but it came with such an intense hunger he was afraid that he’d never be full again.

After a shower, Bim stared at himself in the fogged up mirror, glasses back on. He looked like a pale, death stricken mess. His eyes coal black.

He didn’t want to look like that, maybe if he went to bed this whole nightmare would be over. The Host said that—

Bim rushed to get dressed in his pajamas and raced for the balcony, but to his horror the house started to fold around him and he ran into the library instead. To his immediate and immense relief the Host was the room’s only occupant.

The blind seer looked in Bim’s direction as he threw the door open.

“How is Bim enjoying his time as being the Entity’s favorite?” Host had a huge smile on his face.

Bim was too worked up to realize that the Manor’s library was much bigger than he ever remembered it being and there were two whole shelves of Braille books.

“You win,” Bim told him. “You win. Just bring Illinois back.”

The Host arched an eyebrow, taking his hand off his book, Bim noticed that it was all just Braille and no words. “The Host does not recall an Illinois. Who is Bim referring to?”

“Don’t be an asshole, you know who I’m talking about, lesson learned,” Bim admitted, feeling anxious. “Just bring him back, and things can go back to normal.”

“Now why would the Host do that,” the Host chuckled darkly. “The Host had been looking for a way to get rid of Illinois for some time. Good riddance in his mind.”

“No, not funny asshole,” Bim stomped closer, panic starting to cloud up in his chest. “Bring him back, you said it wasn’t permanent.”

“ _Awww,_ you do love me,” Illinois said from directly behind Bim.

The Host broke out in laughter—

“Ha ha, shitbags,” Bim spat, Illinois was laughing too, walking over to bump his knuckles against the Host’s.

“That was so good,” Illinois laughed, the library suddenly just a bit smaller, the Braille books gone — safely back in the Host’s library in the Hero’s base. “You still got it.”

“You both are total assholes,” Bim told his older brothers.

“Consider it revenge for wishing me away,” Illinois reminded. “You’re lucky Dark won’t remember it.”

“If you want a thank you or an apology, you’re not getting it,” Bim spat, then he looked at the Host who was just watching them. Narrations under his breath and a smile in his face. “Hey Host what’s up with all the differences? Kay was still with us and he looked like a coffee addict.”

The Host stood up. “Illinois is responsible for a lot of things, the King of the Squirrels wouldn’t have a preference for tea nor would the Manor have such a big coffee mug collection if not for the Adventurer bringing them into the house.”

“Huh, he responsible for anything else?” Bim asked, his tone sour.

“With someone for the Entity to concentrate his attention on, everyone else in the Manor has less stress in their lives,” the Host explained. “And if something goes wrong Illinois has the personality to want to soften the blow for his siblings. King got to learn that there was a life outside of the Network, and Yancy was in a position to be an enforcer rather than a captain who never leaves the warehouses. Much is different, but yet some is still the same.”

“Okay, enough of stroking Ill’s ego off,” Bim rolled his eyes, pushing Illinois away from him when he tried to reach over and ruffle his hair.

Illinois chuckled, sticking his hands back into his pockets. “Hey Host, can yah do it? You didn’t answer me before Bimmy got back.”

Bim glared at Illinois when that nickname left his mouth.

“The Host is currently capable of maintaining an effect of that nature,” the Host answered.

“Yes!” Illinois cheered, moving his feet in excitement. “I owe you until the end of time, Host.”

“The Host will remember that,” Host smiled as Illinois raced out of the room in a full sprint.

“What was that about,” Bim motioned to Illinois with a thumb, his other hand on his hip.

“Illinois will tell Bim himself, probably in a day or two,” the Host evaded. “It is not the Host’s to tell.”

“Whatever,” Bim dismissed. “Cryptic fucker, don’t you have a forty-year-old man to fuck or something?”

“Bim should be careful not to insult the Host’s doctor,” the Host warned tersely.

“Hey, you’re the one sleeping with a manther not me,” Bim shrugged, checking his nails. “Not insulting him, just stating a fact that he’s old enough to be your dad.”

“Bim can either retire the topic of his own volition or he’ll find himself waking up the next day,” Host threatened.

“Okay, fine, fine,” Bim held up his hands placatingly, before realizing that the Host could see them and quickly lowered them to his side. “But can I ask you something else?”

“Bim can so long as he minds the Host’s threat,” the Host reminded.

Rolling his eyes, Bim braced a wrist on his hips, a thoughtful frown on his face that reminded the Host a fair bit of Dark. “Am I really Dark’s kid? Like physically, I mean. Obviously I’m dad’s, I look just like him, but what about the old man?”

“Bim Trimmer is the clone of Wilford Warfstache and the Entity known as Dark,” the Host answered.

“How?” Bim asked.

“The Host is this story’s narrator, not it’s writer,” the Host reminded sharply. “It is not his job to know.”

“Yeah but you have to know something,” Bim continued to inquire.

“Demons reproduce via aura, Bim Trimmer is a half to three-quarters juvenile demon,” the Host continued. “Otherwise he could not have inherited the Entity’s aura.”

“Okay, stop, _ewww,_ if this is gonna turn into a demonic birds and the bees talk, we can stop,” Bim interrupted him. “I already got that talk, and I don’t want to know how dad and old man have sex.”

“The Host doesn’t want to have such a talk either,” the Host agreed. “The Host and Bim do not need to talk about their fathers in such a way.”

“The old man doesn’t let me call him “dad” in any language,” Bim frowned.

“That is between Bim and his father to work out,” the Host reminded. “But not tonight, Bim Trimmer is tired from his exploits and needs his rest for the next day.”

“Yeah,” Bim sighed, he was exhausted. But things were back to normal again and he needed five hundred hours of sleep. “Night Host, see you tomorrow.”

“No Bim Trimmer will not,” the Host called after him as Bim started to leave the library. “The Host does not live at the Manor anymore.”

“Right, whatever,” Bim dismissed with a wry chuckle from outside the library.

“Bim!” Host called out and fortunately he didn’t have to use his narrations to drag him back towards the door.

“Yeah? Penless Wonder?” Bim leaned his shoulder against the doorframe.

“If Bim Trimmer wishes to get away with treating the Entity like a father, he should begin doing so when he is going to quickly leave and not return for a period of time. He should be quick and persistent. It took Illinois many, _many_ years for Illinois to get to a point where the Entity no longer reacts negatively towards being called 아빠 and Bim should expect the same.”

“Oh,” Bim commented softly. “Thanks, night.”

“The Host wishes Bim goodnight,” the Host smiled warmly.

Using his narrations, Host made sure to keep an eye on Bim as he went to his bedroom and promptly went to sleep the second he was on his bed.

Narrowly missing Dark who was walking down the hall. Reality split off from its previous trajectory and to the Host the hallway echoed with a dangerously volatile argument that would start a domino effect for Dark.

But Dark just walked in, a calm expression as he checked his watch, unaware of what he had missed. “Are you certain I cannot keep you a bit longer?”

“The Host needs to return to the heroes, the Actor gets closer and the Host would appreciate it if he doesn’t sneak amongst their ranks,” the Host denied.

Dark went tense, “You are not to even be near him, I can’t lose you as well. I would kill the heroes before I let that happen.”

“The Host is fine, the Actor is not interested in him,” the Host demanded. “The Entity is what the Actor wants.”

“Then let him come, I am ready for him,” Dark dared. “I would tear him apart.”

_No the Entity will not,_ the Host thought sadly, thousands of different variations of their future meeting playing across his mind, all with only one victor.

“The Entity must let the Host go,” the Host managed to reply.

Dark sighed, closing his eyes as he nodded. He looked away as he opened a portal, turning his back on the blind seer.

The Host looked at the portal before using his narrations and his aura to be able to reach Dark for a hug. Dark tensed as if he’d been electrocuted at the warmth that came from the Host’s body heat.

“The Host is thankful for everything that the Entity has done for him and the Author,” Host told him. “The Entity has been a good father, and the Host doubts the Author would have lasted as long as he did if not for the Entity looking after him.”

“Don’t,” Dark sounded strangled, pointedly not looking at him.

Letting go of his father, the Host stayed by his side. “The Host means it, he only wishes that he could say so more directly.”

Dark looked at him before capturing the Host into his arms, his aura curling around the Host with feather-like gentleness. “I’d keep you all here, forever if I could,” Dark told him.

“The Host knows,” the Host hugged him back. “Dark should be made aware that there will be a time when all of his children will live in the Manor again.”

Letting go, Dark let out a sad chuckle, “You will look after your brothers won’t you? Kay isn’t sleeping at the park in this cold of weather right?”

“The Host promises he will, and he stays at the base during the winter,” Host reported.

“Good,” Dark let out a long breath of relief. “I worry about him.”

Smiling, the Host turned, already putting one foot into the portal. “Oh and Illinois has a surprise for the Entity, he should meet him in his office.”

“Okay, goodnight Host,” Dark gave a small, fond smile as the Host went through the portal with an answering goodbye and stepped across the hero’s barrier that protected the front steps of their base.

The rip in reality winked closed and Dark looked after it for a bit before opening a small portal to check on Bim, who he saw sleeping peacefully in bed.

With a sad smile, Dark reached over with his aura to smooth over a part of Bim’s hair that had bunched up when he rolled over.

Bim grunted at the touch and his fingers twitched, but _something_ reached out and gently nudged at Dark’s aura. It wasn’t anything enough to fully push Dark away but it was enough of a surprise for Dark to pull away as if he’d been slapped away. Bim had never displayed a hint of an aura to him.

Dark had taken . . . _steps_ . . . to ensure that he wouldn’t. Bim was, by virtue of being Wil and Dark’s child, part demon. Infantile and juvenile demons without auras were ignored by other demons because they weren’t a threat. But now that Bim had enough an aura for it to manifest without him being conscious . . .

Closing up the portal Dark had to do something about this.


End file.
